Railway tracks draw poor Indonesians seeking cure for ills

By Ahmad Pathoni Aug 12, 2011, 4:11 GMT

Jakarta - Dozens of people who lie on railway tracks in Jakarta every morning and before dusk don't have a death wish. Instead, they are seeking a cure from various illnesses such as rheumatism and back pain through the low electrical current in the rails.

The unorthodox therapy has put a spotlight on the quality of health care in Indonesia, where many have no health insurance and thousands still die each year of treatable illnesses such as tuberculosis and malaria.

In Jakarta's Rawa Buaya area, men and women - young and old - stretch their bodies across the rails, using their heads and feet to form a circuit.

Some residents said the railway therapy had proven to have healing benefits.

'I had rheumatism and a high level of cholesterol and thank God I'm cured,' said Rusdi Subhan, a 45-year-old mechanic, rolling up his pants to show his once sore legs.

'I used to be in a lot of pain but now I can sleep well.'

Another resident, Sita Aminah, also attested to the miraculous benefit of the dangerous practice.

'I used to have a severe back pain, but after doing this, I feel a lot better now,' said 50-year-old Aminah, who said she had undergone the electric therapy for five months.

The woman said she was not afraid of being hit by a train because she was familiar with the timetable.

Locals said people were drawn to the practice following news - or a rumour - that a paralyzed man who tried to kill himself by lying on the tracks suddenly could walk again when a train was approaching.

Lily Sulistyowati, head of the Centre for Health Promotion at the Health Ministry, said there was no evidence that such a therapy could cure diseases.

'In our society people believe rumours and like to try new things, hoping that they will work,' she said.

'There are actually community clinics in the area where people can have treatment for their various complaints.'

About half of Indonesia's 230 million people live on less than 2 dollars a day, according to the World Bank.

Expensive medical treatment and drugs have prompted many Indonesians to go to alternative healing clinics and shamans to seek cure for their health problems.

In 2009, thousands flocked to the house of Muhammad Ponari, a 9-year-old boy who, after being struck by a lightning - as the story goes - found a stone believed to have magical healing powers. At one time, three people died in a stampede while queuing for treatment.

A World Bank report released in 2009 said half the population still lacks health insurance coverage and government health subsidies disproportionally benefit the rich.

Azas Tigor Nainggolan, an activist with Jakarta Residents' Forum, said the railway phenomenon was symptomatic of a poor health care system.

'If you are poor, you will not be treated seriously,' Nainggolan said. 'Often patients have to pay first to get emergency treatment.'

'Many of those who seek therapy on the rails have suffered various illnesses for a long time,' he said.

In 2008, the government launched an ambitious scheme to provide health coverage for the entire population.

But critics said to get free medical treatment under the scheme, poor patients have to produce various letters certifying they are poor and many gave up trying.

But Sulistyowati of the Health Ministry said more poor people now enjoyed quality health care.

'People flock to government clinics every day and from our assessment the scheme is well utilized by the public,' she said.

Meanwhile, the railway company, PT Kereta Api, expressed concerns about the illegal use of its tracks, but appeared unable to do much to stop it.

'These people are endangering their lives and disrupt railway traffic,' Kerera Api spokesman Mateta Rizalulhaq said.

'Our officials have reprimanded them repeatedly but they were ignored,' he said.